Headlines account for 80-90% of the effectiveness of any marketing document. Why? It’s simple. A good headline compels people to read the first sentence of the body of the piece. A bad headline doesn’t.

A great headline with mediocre copy will always pull better than a terrible headline (or no headline) with great copy. People are busy and inundated with reading material, and most will base their decision to read an article, ad, brochure, web page, or anything else on the basis of the headline.

You don’t have to take my word for it. As exhibit "A" I submit headlines from my dentist’s quarterly newsletter.

I realize how difficult it is to write headlines that make anyone want to read a dentist’s newsletter. But that’s no excuse for this collection of abominations:

My Wonderful National and
International Cadre of
Dentist Friends

Divinely Designed. . .
and Faithfully Emulated

A Word About Diagnodent

Bio-Directed Joint by Nikken

The Road to Excellence is
Always Under Construction

The Cutting Edge. . . . .of
the Moving Wedge

Not only won’t anyone read the newsletter, I’m almost sure that 80-90% of his patients who have been receiving his newsletter for any length of time are throwing it away unopened.